Extension Dimension
by Songbird's Spirit
Summary: Maria finds that she traveled across dimensions to a brand new world of creatures! Can she survive? And what about this hedgehog who shes seems to have caught the eye of? Adventure finds those wo are brave! Sorry bad at summaries. The beginning is a little slow but I hope you enjoy! R&R.
1. The First Crossing

**Extension Dimension **

**Wow my first fanfic I'm so excited! Anyhoo I hope you enjoy this shadiea story**

**I do not own sonic **

**Language notice **

**Haymisha: Whoa.**

**Kalanithia: Oh my god.**

**Ryutaro: Calm down.**

**Sukoisa: Inhuman.**

**S t a r t **

Part 1, Chapter 1 Dimension Crosser

Maria and her two friends Lynx and Sequoe were finally free from their jobs at Applecorp where they published music, and decided to go shopping!

"Hey Maria how about this shop," asked Sequoe?

"Which one," I replied? They were surrounded by shops, which one could she mean?

"That one, you see, the one with the weirdly colored smoke orbs and samurai swords," cried Sequoe!

"I don't know, it looks scary to me," I said. I didn't have a good feeling about the place.

"Oh Ryutaro, you can be such a scardy cat sometimes, Said Lynx, rolling her eyes!

"Fine," I cried, rushing in before the rest of them! The place was called "Galaxy Connections". We wandered inside, and to our surprise found so many cool things; from jewelry to ancient Egyptian scrolls. I found a pair of pretty white and silver streaked feathers with a pearl connecting the pairs of feathers. I put one pair on one side of my head then the other pair on the other side. I thought I looked really pretty in them. I called Lynx and Sequoe over to have a look, and their horrified expressions were the last thing I saw before things started blinking in and out of existence. Then everything turned into a whirl and swirl of color before the world through my eyes went black…

Part 2

When the darkness subsided I found myself in a 5 by 7 foot jail cell. It looked really old to say the least. But that's not what surprised me the most. When I looked up I saw a pair of crimson eyes staring back at me.

"Haymisha, Kalanithia," I cried! Then I found the crimson eyes belonged to a black and red hedgehog! The hedgehog spoke to me in an odd language. He was using such strange words.

"I'm s-s-sorry but I-I don't understand that l-language," I stuttered.

He blinked at me for a minute then wiggled his wrists. Then I noticed the jangling chains above him keeping him in place. Seeing he wanted to be freed, I told him I understood he wanted out of his bonds. Gathering what little courage I had I grabbed a bobby-pin from my dress pocket and began picking the lock. Once he was freed he dropped his wrists, massaging the aching joints. He eyed me when I glanced his way and started speaking his strange words again.

"I'm sorry but I told you I don't understand what you're saying," I sighed.

He kept saying those strange words and I then noticed he was repeating the words in that language. That's when I started to panic, realizing 1# I was alone in a room with a seemingly deranged, and talking hedgehog, 2# I was in a _jail cell_ with that hedgehog, (who knows what this guy would do?) as if he sensed my rising panic he was on me in seconds my arms pinned above me, he then lifted my chin and opened my mouth, then opened his. Surprisingly enough a bright white-hot light shot between our mouths sending waves of dizzying pain through my entire being. To a point in which when he stopped, it was official, I had blacked out…

Part 3

When I opened my eyes the pain had subsided and I heard a deep and serious voice call out in that weird language.

"Are you okay," He asked?

"Me yes I'm fine- what wha- how can I understand you when not 5 minutes ago I couldn't understand you at all," I asked in disbelief?

"Keep yourself calm girly, all I did was put a spell on you so you could understand me and I could understand you," he sneered.

"Oh...then, (Kalanithia!), could you please tell me where the heck we are," I asked?

"We are on Amber Isle Prison-Way where they keep the most hard-core and violent criminals," He said.

"So you're a criminal," I asked? I was getting really worried and homesick.

"I'm thought of as one," He said sadly, "but don't worry, you saved me from this horrid accusation, I will not hurt you, I swear on my word."

I relaxed a little. "Okay then," I sighed with relief.

"Do you trust me," he asked?

"So far yeah, well except that part when you sent that energy in me, that was beyond excruciating," I grimaced, remembering the pain.

He cringed. "Yes I am so sorry about that please; I beg you please forgive me?"

"Alright but first let's get out of here."

"Fine but what's your name," he asked?

"I'm Maria, Maria Robotnik, I said awkwardly. "What's yours?"

"Shadow…"

"Shadow… what?"

"Just Shadow I don't have a last name."

Then he walked over to the cell door seeming to study it. I was sitting there thinking "there is no way we can get out," before with hardly a punch (more like a tap) the door's lock shattered. And the door swung in a wide ark. Slamming against the cold metal wall, a major _**clunk**_ sound reverberated off the walls.

"_Holy angel, how in the hell did he just do that?" Sukoisa, Sukoisa, _and Sukoisa!" my mind screamed.

"Stay close to me, someone is bound to have heard that," Shadow murmured.

"No kidding," I muttered!

He did run really fast, more than I thought was possible. But I was able to keep up pretty good. Until he stopped at another door, marked "Warning do not open door unless you value your life and job." I stared at it I seriously hoped he wasn't going to kick down the door. Unlike some people I _value_ my life, very much so.

"Are you gonna…," I asked?

"Yep," he said.

"NO, WAIT," I cried!

Part 4.

He busted the "warning door" open, I yelped in surprise. Shadow just walked inside and clanking sounds could be heard.

"_Why would he do that, does his strength know no boundaries?" _I thought.

Then to my ultimate disbelief another hedgehog, this one was blue, walked out of the cell and looked at us. His eyes were dilated as if he couldn't see very well. Then I saw the cell inside were strobe lights and darkness the strobe lights switched on randomly then it hit me. No wonder he can't see, his eyes aren't used to any particular pattern. And whoever ran this load of crap prison probably permanently ruined his vision. The poor guy. Hedgehog, whatever.

"Who's the kid, and is that you Shadow," asked the hedgehog?

"Yes it's me, lets hurry and get outta here then I'll explain," rushed Shadow.

"_He called me a kid, he has no right, I'm 14, homeschooled, and have a job at a big world-famous industry for music, I am NOT a kid," my head was screaming at me to retort from his insult._

"My name is Maria and I'm not a kid," I snapped.

"Right then, well I'm Sonic," He tittered.

"That's nice," I said.

Well after the introductions we all ran to a stairwell littered with guards. All Sonic did was run in stupid little circles, which to my surprise, for the 30millionth time that day (which wouldn't be the last), created mini cyclones of wind picking up the fear-stricken cops and sent them smacking and plowing into one another in every which way. (I felt really bad for the cops in the 7th cyclone because they had a chubby one with hot coffee and a Billy-club whirling around with them making chubby a triple threat to his own squad.) Once they were taken care of Sonic just rushed to the bottom with Shadow while I had to trek all the way down. Sonic got antsy and ran ahead but Shadow waited for me though, he seemed a little impatient. I felt so slow.

"I'm sorry I'm not that fast," I chuckled weakly.

"That's okay, just remember as long as you're here, we will never leave or abandon you or where you are until you're safe," he moaned to me softly.

"Thank you, and hey we're almost out," I cried tearing up a little, but not because we were nearly out!

"Yeah that's good and all but why is she here Shads," asked Sonic?

"I don't know she just sorta happened to appear in my cell so she set me free when I asked," Shadow chuckled darkly.

"So then how did you get here Maria," asked Sonic?

"I-I don't know," I said tapping my head.

Well we'll figure it out eventually but let's get sil-," Sonic was cut off.

Then again for the second time that day I was given a puzzling look. That's when that familiar swirl of color appeared again, then right on cue the duo of hedgehogs blinked out of existence, just like before, everything was swallowed by the dark. I woke up standing to find Sequoe and Lynx demanding to know where the feathers had sent me, and the cashier stared at them in disbelief and terror. I then knew two things for sure. #1 I was home from the other dimension. And #2 I desperately had to get back…


	2. THe Oddest but Closest of Friends

**Extension Dimension **

**Wow my second chapter sorry if the wait was long. But hey I hope you enjoy! R&R!**

**I do NOT own sonic. : ( **

**Language notice**

**Redili: Soul**

**Mashide: Body**

**Aliko: Strange**

**Gueripil: Friendship**

**Hopithiny: Forever**

**I want to thank Serria Zanimalini14 and Fire-shiell, for reviewing, but no; Maria is a human in this story!**

**START!**

PART ONE CHAPTER 2

"Where did those feathers take her," thundered Sequoe?

"Yeah tell us now," raged Lynx.

I then slowly walked through the two of them and laid the feathers on the counter. Rifling through my purse I picked up from the ground. (I had dropped it when I had traveled dimensions). I found $15.35 in there to pay for the feathers. I just didn't feel right using them without buying them.

"May I purchase these," I asked?

"Right away," cried the cashier. He was relieved to have an excuse not to be screamed at by two over reactive teenagers.

"Thank you," I said cheerfully.

I then walked out of Galaxy Connections, with Lynx and Sequoe close behind. They looked really angry but if they were angry with me what did I do, how was I supposed to know that those feathers would do that?

"Where were you," cried Lynx!

"Yeah you were gone for like 3 hours," followed Sequoe.

"_Three hours it felt like 50minutes maybe," _I thought puzzled.

"Well I was teleported to a prison," I started.

"A PRISON, ARE YOU SERIOUS?" Cried Sequoe and Lynx together!

"Well yeah, I was in a cell with a rather Aliko "man" but he said he was wrongly accused and or innocent so I let him free." I said simply.

"You let him free," screamed Lynx ", what was the name of this prison?"

"I think it was Amber Isle Prison-Way," I struggled to remember.

"That's it you are never going there again using those feathers!" Thundered Sequoe!

That's when all hell broke loose. Both of my trusted Friends for Hopithiny came at me with all they had pulling me apart. They scratched and pulled my hair, clawed me, yanked on my collar choking me, they even once or twice accidentally kicked me! I was hurting, aching, bleeding, and bruised. They were doing everything they could to take away my only connections (the feathers) to my new friends across the dimensions. The last thing I remembered was letting out one hell of a scream…

Part 2

When I screamed, that excruciating pain I felt from Shadow, I sensed that it was blowing up around me. I then realized along with changing my language, it would protect me. That's why I had felt so much pain. When the power died my "friends" were sprawled a fair few yards from me. They were hurt, bad, while I was healed. I didn't help them due to their betrayal. All I did was run to my house, my sanctum to meditate in my garden and I didn't stop till I arrived, exhausted. All I wanted to do was use the feathers to get back to help them. Even though I had no clue how to use them I didn't think it was important at the time. Then I realized since I was struggling to stay awake from the run I decided to wait until morning to do anything. I trudged upstairs to my room and flopped down on the soft, clean, and thankfully warm sheets and covers. I fell in to the most uneasy sleep I had ever had almost instantly.

The next morning…

I woke up a slow and tired Redili at first, until I spotted the feathers on my desk confirming my wish that it hadn't been a dream. I was now an energetic Mashide. I quickly pulled myself into Sky-blue Capri's, a black and white aero shirt, and black and white tennis shoes the ones that had the best traction so could run for my life when necessary. After grabbing my backpack I clipped on my feathers and waited to travel the astral planes, which is what I had decided to call the thing I went across when going through dimensions. Nothing happened.

"Darn it how'd I get this thing to work anyway," I asked aloud.

I subconsciously tapped my feathers and that familiar whirl of color appeared. I smiled.

"Here we go," I cried enthusiastically!

Once again the world blinked out of existence, before being devoured by the dark. When the blackness that surrounded my eyes cleared, I was standing behind a big, strong, rugged, dirty, and evil brute, with a rather terrifying gun in his hands. The gun was pointed at shadow, Sonic, and two other creatures, an echidna and a white hedgehog. The man then laughed manically.

"No one here to save you now," he said with a deep baritone voice.

I spun into a silent action. Since neither he, nor my friends had noticed my presence yet I was I the clear. My body seemed to be acting on its own accord. I grabbed a Billy-club, tazer, and mace. I gathered my courage now on my own accord. I knew what I had to do. I first swatted him as hard as I could with the Billy-club, when he whirled around to look at me I maced him. While he screamed in agony I wrapped it all up by tazing his pressure point. He fell to the ground writhing like a snake while making various stupid noises. When he finally settled into a still and somewhat awkward position on the floor, I looked up at my friends warily. The hedgehogs and echidna stared back before breaking into hysteria of laughter.

"Wow old Corduroy, ousted by a teenager, where did you learn to do that," asked the white hedgehog tearing up from laughing!

"I uh don't know, I kinda just acted out of surprise," I said sheepishly.

"Well for someone who didn't know what they were doing, you're good," said the echidna, which was doubled over in hysteria.

"_What do they mean, I asked myself in my head?_

"Are you ready to go, and finally get outta here," asked Shadow?

"Umm I guess," I said uncertainly.

So Shadow took my hand and sped down the hall, with me in tow. It took me a minute to regain and adjust my balance to the sudden movement but I ended up running along pretty well, awkwardly, but well. Then shadow explained how I had freed him and was the whole reason he was able to free the rest of them. I looked embarrassed, I knew that for sure. But then the echidna introduced himself as Knuckles and nodded to me in respect. The white/gray hedgehog introduced himself as Silver. I was again thanked by them for the opportunity.

"Uh oh the two guards, who got us last time re blocking the door again," muttered Shadow quietly but obviously seething with anger.

"Who," I asked?

"Those two guards over there by the big brass door," said Shadow.

I peeked around the corner and looked for the guards. All I saw were two teenage girls standing in front of a door. I snapped my attention back to them and did a double take. It was Lynx and Sequoe.

**F i n i s h **

**Oooohhh cliffhanger I hope you enjoyed this!**

**Read and review please! : ) ;D **

**Ciao for now ****Songbird****.**


	3. Getting What You Deserve

Extension Dimension

Chapter 3

**Hello! So sorry it took me so long to update, I've been so busy! Anyway I thank you all for your reviews it means so much to me! So here we go… ah but first…**

**Language Notice, **

**Synco: Timely**

**Zonior: Awkward**

**Ablarical: By my side.**

**I guess I should tell you, if you have any ideas on what you would like to see happen, or characters, words, actions, or basically ways the story should go in the story, I'm open to ideas. Just put them in your reviews.**

**Start!**

"Haymisha," I cried in a hushed whisper!

"What does that mean," asked Silver?

"It means whoa in Colicari, which is a dead language," I mumbled.

"See, she even knows they're dangerous," Sonic said in a wild but barely audible tone!

"No it's not because of that," my voice faint.

"Then what," asked Shadow?

"Those two were good friends of mine."

Everyone took a wary step back. They looked at me in distrust and disbelief. I didn't know what to do, I had just demolished any trust I had built up with them due to the harmlessness of those two girls being my now ex-best friends. I suddenly thought that if maybe just maybe, I could convince Sequoe and Lynx to let us through (via guilt trip) Shadow and everyone else would trust me again! This was my single most important act I could have ever done. I turned, rounded the corner so I was in full view of the duo, and then before I could change my mind, walked right up to them; that panicked my new friends.

"Lynx, Sequoe, wake up, I thundered to my dozing friends. Despite my rather small exterior, I could be pretty loud when I wanted to be.

"Maria, MARIA, what are _you_ doing, _here_," said one shell-shocked Lynx.

"Helping," I snapped.

"But you can't be helping anyone if there is no one with you."

"Oh there's someone with me alright, but first you have to swear on the river Styx that you won't hurt me, them, or anyone at all, or at least, not right now."

"Fine then, see if I care."

"Kay then, everyone its safe, they will not hurt you, I swear they won't right now!"

The hedgehogs and echidna were wary at first, but they saw my rather serious face and relaxed themselves knowing I wasn't lying. They came around cautiously but more determined to show that they were going to stand their ground. When they all reached me, Shadow carefully took my hand and moved me behind him to show that he was dominantly going to handle any fight that might come our way. He was protective to say the least. But he had a suspiciously pained look on his face. I took that look as a signal that he wasn't completely sure anymore, about me, or the whole situation. I had to take care of that. Then it struck me as I thought back to when I was talking to Lynx and Sequoe! I had switched to perfect English automatically then back to their language immediately after. I had been alternating languages without knowing it. Shadow didn't know what I had said to the two, he wasn't sure what I was doing. I was such an idiot.

"Hey Shadow, am I changing my language when I talk to different people," I asked embarrassedly?

"Yeah, you didn't notice," asked Shadow?

"No not really."

Shadow relaxed a little bit, but asked me if I could get them to let us through the gates. And fast before the guards that got stuck in the cyclone came after us.

"Maybe… Hey Sequoe," I asked?

"Yes, what," she replied?

"Could you maybe, uh let us all through," I stammered?

"Well _**NO**_, I don't freaking have to."

"Yeah actually you do, you owe this to me as recompense for what you did."

"And what is that?"

"For when you, _both_ of you ganged up on me to take away my feathers, you guys almost beat me to death. And that's just one of them; this would be for all the times you both ditched me saying you had to babysit. I knew both of you were lying about it, I just didn't say anything."

I said this all in English so she could understand, but I managed to sound angry, prideful, and a little bit like I had the upper hand. They looked at me mixed with emotions as if I knew something they didn't, something I could use as blackmail. She looked like a flipping angry volcano and I knew very well, from past experience, what was going to happen. One of two things would take place. She would either: let us through meaning my little guilt trip had done its job, or, she would challenge me to a fight, a fight I would lose. Last time THAT happened she put me in the hospital for a week. Try and guess which one happened.

Part 2

"I challenge you to a judastu-fight, if I win you all go back to your cells to wallow, if _you_ win I'll let you go. _For now_," said Sequoe.

"_What do I do? I know for a stone-hard FACT I can't win against her, which will result in either a rather eventful and painful trip to the doctor, or she'll simply just kill me this plan is on a major all-time LOW," _I thought. Though it's true that I was on the verge of having a sudden panic attack like Corduroy, I couldn't help but feel a little ticked at the two of them.

I gave her a disappointed and again betrayed look, and sighed. I didn't have a choice. Bowing my head I asked if there were any rules in particular. She then replied that we had to go outside to do so. We were all soon outside and I remembered something, two things I wanted to kick myself for not recalling earlier. #1 Shadow's vow to me "we won't ever leave you if you're in trouble if you're stuck here without way to get out I will stand by your side." "By my side," is when it hit me if I could managed to tell him I was going to go back to my dimension to escape they could leave without worrying. I had to hope he would pick up on the hidden message in what I would say next… (B.T.W when I remembered then feathers was #2).

"Hey Sequoe, if I'm not here can someone sub in my place," I asked. I added a certain edge to my voice. The one you use when you want to let someone know you're up to something. There was one thing I knew for a fact and that was that Lynx and Sequoe where the worst people on the planet at detecting that sort of stuff. Which I made friends with them for that reason.

"Yeah if you can manage to leave with me around I'll let someone, maybe everyone come at me," smirked Sequoe.

"You swear on your word you'll let them attack," I prompted.

"I swear on my red rally heart."

"Good then get ready for one hell of a fight!"

"Hah you'll never."

I reached up to my feathers and tapped them. The swirl of color appeared and as they blinked out I could hear Sequoe and Lynx's terrified screams. I was gone in the next moment. I don't know what happened to the two of them, but I do know that I got a rather odd phone call from the hospital asking if I had any clue to who might have temporarily disabled Sequoe Hayfield from the waist down. Or if I knew who had given Lynx Breelove a black eye, five broken ribs, a knee dislocation, and a few rather peculiar bite marks and holes in her left ear. I told the baffled doctor I was sorry and didn't know anything but to tell the two to feel better soon and that I would "look into it." I hung up the phone with the definite plan to ask Shadow what exactly had happened. With a rather knowing grin, I relaxed on my couch to plan tomorrows travel through the astral planes.

**Finish!**

**Yeah, finally those two monsters feel the wrath of karma! Also I hope to update sooner next time but I'm counting on at least three reviews. (Right now I have five so I need three more which brings us to eight before the next update). Also don't forget that if there is something you want to see in those future stories, be sure to include them in your reviews. We're also getting a look at the main villain next time so happy reading.**

**Ciao, Songbird ; )**


	4. Random Transportation

**Extension Dimension **

**Chapter 4**

**Oh man I am so terrible and sorry. It's been years since the last update. I am so sorry. I'll try and finish this for the readers. Thanks for all the reviews.**

**Start**

I tapped my feathers that next morning fully intending to spend more time with Shadow and maybe the others. When I arrived I found myself on top of one of the biggest trees I had ever seen. Earth probably had these at some point but more than likely they had been cut down in the rainforests. I mean the thing was…more than huge.

A mile in the sky per say.

Once I got over the enormity of the tree I realized my problem. How in the world…this world…was I supposed to get down. I wasn't exactly expecting to land on top of a tree. I mean how did the feathers decide where I'd land anyway?

"Well drat, now what?" I murmured.

_'I suppose I could try and climb down the side and through the branches. I mean standing here is getting me nowhere.'_ I thought with a sigh.

I carefully eased myself down from the top and slowly made my way through the intricate maze of branches. I had never really had the opportunity to climb trees in the city so I was surprised I was doing so well.

However the branches soon converged at the base of the tree and I still had about a fifty foot drop to the ground. But there were no more branches to grab onto. "There is no way in all worlds I'll be able to shimmy the rest of the way down." I grumbled.

'Well now what…' I thought with a sigh.

"Hey Maria, need some help? How'd you get up there anyway?" a voice called from below me.

I looked down and was more relieved than I had been in a while when I saw Knuckles at the base of the tree. He had two other people with him. They appeared to be animal people like the others. One of them was green and looked like a plant girl while the other was a two-tailed fox. I stared. They were cute.

Looking down at myself I remembered I had dressed in a blue shirt with a butterfly design, a black jean vest, a blue skirt with black leggings, and black flats decorated with blue and white bows. I probably looked just as weird to them as they did to me. I shook my head and pulled myself from my thought to return the gesture.

"Hey Knuckles!" I called with a wave.

"Hey, Maria, how did you get up there?" Knuckles asked.

"I don't really know, my feathers just decided to make me appear here." I replied.

"Heh, well just wait there. I'm coming up to get you!" he called.

"Thanks, I'm not going anywhere." I shrugged and he laughed.

His climbing method was creative to say the least. He used the spikes on his gloves to punch his way up the tree as a form of climbing. He was agile…maybe he was part monkey…? He soon made it up the tree and sat next to me with a silly grin plastered on his face.

"Hey." He smiled.

"Hi." I giggled.

"I suppose you need help getting down?" he asked cheekily.

"That'd be nice," I giggled, "Otherwise I'd be stuck up here for hours."

"Great, how much do you weigh?" he asked bluntly.

I conked him on the head for that.

"OW, what was that for?" he growled.

"You never ask a lady her weight or age! It's disrespectful!" I scolded him.

"Sorry, I didn't know." He grunted and rubbed his head.

I hugged him cutely. "I'm sorry Knuckles, I'm sorry I hurt you." I mumbled.

He chuckled. "It's alright." He patted my head with a light smile; "Now how about we get you down from here?" he stood up.

"But how," I asked.

"Like this," he grinned mischievously.

In one swift motion Knuckles picked me up bridal style and leaped off the tree. I screamed until he trapped the air beneath him quills and dreadlocks and began to gently glide down on the wind currents that flowed between the trees. I hugged him fearfully until we landed and he set me down on the sturdy ground.

"Thank you!" I squeezed him tightly.

"Heh, it's no big deal." He blushed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Yes big deal, if you hadn't saved me I'd still be stuck up there." I swatted his arm playfully.

"Fine alright." He playfully gave in and rolled his eyes.

"Anyway," I mused, "Where are we?" I asked.

"What planet or which town?" the green plant girl asked in a sweet voice.

"Both I guess…" I trailed off.

"You're on planet Mobius in the forest outside New Metropolis." The fox said brightly.

"Oh…I really am a long way from home…" I mumbled.

"Where exactly are you from Maria?" Knuckles asked.

I remembered he had been in the prison so that's how he knew my name. "I'm from planet earth in a small town in Colorado." I explained.

"That sounds like a weird place…" the plant girl whispered to the fox who nodded.

"My name is Cosmo." The plant girl introduced herself.

"My name's Miles Prower, you can call me Tails." The fox smiled.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Maria." I smiled.

"Nice to see you're making friends." Knuckles chuckled.

"Hey Knuckles, could you put me down now?" I asked.

He yelped when he realized he was still holding me. He gently but quickly set me down with a blush present on his muzzle. His other friends laughed at his blush as I tried to hold back my laughter. After Knuckles yelled at them for laughing they decided to take me to the city. It was very beautiful when we got there. It was all new-looking. The people…well Mobians stared at me though and some of them called me and Overlander. I had no idea what an Overlander was until a lizard girl strutted up to Knuckles followed by two squirrels. They looked me up and down with a criticizing eye.

"Who's your friend Knuckles?" she asked with a snort.

"This is Maria; she's a friend of mine." He replied with a wary glare.

"But isn't she an Overlander?" the lizard girl huffed.

'_What's an Overlander?'_ I thought, "Don't you mean that I'm a human?" I asked.

"What? Oh, you have five fingers. You are a human. Sorry…" She sighed dramatically and left.

After she waltzed away I frowned. She hadn't sounded very sorry.

"What was that all about?" I asked referring to the girl.

"Don't worry about her, you enjoy yourself." Knuckles waved the girl and her manner off dismissively.

"Okay, then where are we going?" I asked.

"Shadow wanted me to find you and bring you to his place." Knuckles explained.

"Cool!" I smiled.

"It's cool until you have to climb." He snorted.

"Climb?" I asked and tilted my head.

"His house is built into the side of a tree." Knuckles clarified.

"Great, more trees." I pouted playfully.

Knuckles just laughed.

We walked for a little while longer until we hit another forest. Cosmo and Tails departed and went back into the city as Knuckled took me through the forest with ease. He led me deeper and soon I found myself surrounded by tall trees and wood houses.

"It's so beautiful." I whispered, "This place is…"

"Yeah I know, it's not that organized." Knuckles interrupted.

"This is the coolest place I've ever seen, it's even better than Woodstock!" I cheered.

"Woodstock?" Knuckles asked.

"It's also a forest back on earth where Indians built their houses. This is even nicer!" I beamed.

Knuckles nodded to me and was clearly flowing with pride for his planet. I liked seeing the echidna happy. It was nice. I got the feeling he wasn't happy very often. He led me even deeper and then stopped and looked up. I looked up as well and saw a house. Knuckles gestured for me to take his hand and I did so. I wish I hadn't. He, instead of taking me where I needed to go, threw me up the side of the cliff-face. I screamed. Just how was I supposed to get out of this one?

Then out of nowhere I was deposited into the arms of none other than Shadow. He shouted chaos control and suddenly we were teleported into a house inside a tree! It was nicely decorated with the walls and floors made of ebony while the bed was fashioned with branches and logs. The counters and sinks were marble and the place was just…beautiful.

It was just me and him. Shadow laid a hand on my shoulder and wore a half bored half concerned expression. I then stopped shaking which I hadn't realized I'd been doing. His somehow familiar touch was calming.

"You okay?" he asked tensely.

"I guess I am now." I mumbled.

"I'm sorry." He apologized.

"It's not your fault…why did Knuckles do that?" I asked.

"Because he knew I would never let you get killed." He sighed sounding annoyed.

"Yeah I guess so but why?" I asked.

"Why what?" he asked.

"Why…save me?" I asked.

"I owe you, you saved me from having to spend my life in that prison…" he replied.

"Thanks…but…" I trailed off.

"What?" Shadow asked.

"Would you…would you have saved me even if I didn't owe you and hadn't saved you from that prison?" I asked shyly.

"Well probably…erm…" he mumbled.

"Not?" I finished.

"Well…yeah." He muttered.

"Then…thanks Shadow." I cheered.

He turned looking surprised when I threw my arms around him in a bear hug. He stiffened but then slowly relaxed and returned the hug like I had. We were bonding…I could tell!

**Finish**

**I am so…so…so sorry! *Drags out a crate of tomatoes* I apologize for making you wait a few years for this chapter! I am so terrible!**

**My apologies,**

**Songbird 0.o**


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